St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-25
The Hills Country of Uncommon Value
for Grazing Because Of the NutTi-
tiousness of the Grass.
Some Miners Become Ranchers---Money
in Systematic, Intelligent Prose-
cution of Breeding.
Great Interest in the Black Hills Fire
mems Association Tournament, TO
Occur July TOT.
special Correspondence of the Globe.

northern ranges of Dakota, Wyoming
and Montana, and for the Central and
Southern Hills the reports are favorable.
The difference in results was anticipated
by all who know the different conditions
of the ranges. Southern ranges have
not been so heavily stocked as in the
north; the herds on the former are
smaller and better cared for in winter !;
the country, as far south and east as the
Cheyenne benefits by being under the
lee of the Black Hills. There is diff
Ference of fifteen degrees in the mean
temperature of the Southern and North
ern Hills. Cattle men have received
severe lessons on the tendency of bust
ness towards smaller punches, closer
herding and winter feeding. The wire
fence and blizzard are revolutioniZing
the business.
A-FAvoRED GRAZING COUNTRY.
There is favored grazing country
inside the hills which, if limited, has
advantage of permanency, safety and
richness: a favorable opening to men of
small capital. The valleys and parks
that make up over half of the Black
Hills area are upon lands reserved by
the government for mineral purposes,
and hence not open for presumption and
enclosure. They are likely to remain
open ranges for many years, if not for
all time. There is hardly 1o0-acre
stretch of it that does not include min
eral land, and, except one section in the
southwestern corner of Custer county,
it has not been surveyed. No man can
get title to any of it except by taking up
placer claims, doing $500 worth of work
in mining them, and going to the e1-
penSe of patenting and paying $3.50 per
acre, all of which would bring the cost
up to $3.50 an acre, a price that would
buy improved ranches in the foothills.
The small patches that are fenced in
now are held only by SquatterS' title, and
these are occupied by small farmers and
constitute but a small part of these
mountain parks. The hills are of un-
common value for grazing, because of
the extraordinary nutritiousness of
the grass, green or seifcured, the
abundance and purity, of the water,
shelter from winds and light Snow and
mild winters. Stock thrives and does
not wander far. These are the only
ranges / have ever seen where it is no
Dakota exaggeratiOn to say that stock
turns out in the spring as well-condi-
toned as in the fall it went in. There
are probably no greater losses here this
spring than in an equal number of sta
bledp stock East. Nor is the extent of
the feed measured by the open land, for
the timbered parts are more or less
ERASED TO THE MOUNTAIN TOPS.
can drive blackboard for miles through
the woods where there is no trail; and
this forest is much of it covered with
grass to the roots of the trees. A not
too distant view of these mountain
slopes at this season present a beautiful
yariegation and contrast of black-green
against background of bright green
grass showing through the trees. The
parks themselves are as treeless as if
some mighty police had enjoined the
rock-loving pines to keep off the
grass."-nOt the Only respect in which
these lovely stretches suggest city
kept park. They look more like the
art of the landscape gardener than the
work of nature.
,.. MINERS TURN RANCHERS.
1t is the ambition OF the Hills miner
and prospectOr to own horse ranch
and settle down as soon as he makes a
stake. Several Of the fortunate owners
of tin properties that have been sold
here within the past year have thus in
vested their gains, fencing in little
home plot and letting their stock range
the free-tO-all. You will hear encourage
ing reports of the geOmetrical increase
of their boards around Custer. ssThere
is the best mine ever owned" said an
old miner, pointing to band of horses
grazing hundreds of feet above us.
But there are always men of this class
who tire of so lazy and slow an occupa-
ton and pine for the excitement and
freedom of gold hunting, and they will
sell improvements, stock and squatter'S
rights cheap. One such sold his herd at
$3.50 head, calves thrown in. Horses
pay better margin. but do not give re-
turns as soon as cattle. experienced
horse rancher advises to buy a bunch of
large-bOned, solid, StOcky mares and
breed with small, fast stallion-like
Morgan or Hambletonian, and have
AN EXPERIENCED HoRsEMAN
to break the colts to saddle and harness.
paying particular attention to training
for fast walking gate, so valuable for
these hill roads. He said a man could
make good start in the business and
meet expenses until returns began to
come with $4,000 capital, but he must
give his personal attention to it at fire.
Quent intervals if he does not live on
anter climate or more romantic sur
roundings of life, if one can put up with
isolation from society. Certainly, there
is not more lovely, enjoyable spot out
side of Bouquette Valley, in the
Adirondacs than this. The charms of
these valleys and advantages for graz
ing are little known, and few are en-
gagged in the business here, except peo-
pie who came in after gold and went
into stock ION the Side,'' as they say.
Out in the foothills there are few
horse ranches who make a business of it.
A company of titled Frenchmen are
breeding Arab stock on the Fleur-de-
LyS ranch, out on Lame Johnny Creek ::
there are several considerable horse
outfits around Buffalo Gap and Rapid
City; and most ranches dabble in horses
as we'll as cattle. But the systematic.
intelligent prosecution of breeding for
market is a neglected business.
FIREMEN TO THE FORE,
The interest in the tournament of the
Black Hills Firemen's association, to be
held at Lead City July AZ, is extraordi-
nary now. There are ten companies in
the association. and the liberal purse
offered for the free-for-all hose race
will attract outside companies. One of
these, the j.. C. Cleland Hose company,
of Fremont, Neb., has record for speed
that is making the local footers feel q
little shaky in anticipation. The people
all through the Hills are taking an in
terest in, and contributing money to.
and betting on these races with rs much
earnestness as if all this training was
for the axhnguishment Of eternal fires